Level 1 Certificate in Coaching Paddlesport

BCU Level 1 Training Course Workbook

BCU Awarding

Level 1 Certificate in Coaching Paddlesport

Training Course Workbook

[Word Version]

This Microsoft word version of the Level 1 Training Course Workbook is available for candidates to complete electronically if they wish. The example answers and example risk assessment are not included.

Candidate Details

Candidate Name:
Home Nation Association Membership Number:
I confirm that all evidence provided within this workbook is my own.
Candidate Signature: / Date:

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Contents

Introduction

1.The Level 1 Coaches Remit

2.Your Coaching Personality

3.Paddlesport Activities

4.Long Term Paddler Development (LTPD)

5.Safety

6.Equipment

7.Preparing Participants for Coaching Sessions

8.BCU Policies for Coaches

9.Safeguarding and Protecting Children and Vulnerable Adults

10.Confidential Information

11.Getting Involved with BCU Performance Awards

12.Personal Action Plan

Appendix 1 – Example Answers8

Example Risk Assessment

Introduction

This Level 1 Training Course Workbook has been written for candidates working towards their Level 1 Certificate in Coaching Paddlesport. The resource explores a selection of topics covered on the course.

0. Example Activity:
The numbered activities in boxes like this form part of your overall assessment evidence. Answer all questions prior to the end of the course.
Example Activity:
The activities in boxes like this are not assessed. They are designed to help learning and development in the topic areas. Tutors may use these as group activities or set them for you to do in your own time.

Course tutors will help and support you in the use of the resource, and provide guidance in completing the various activities. You should keep this workbook for future reference.

Appendix 1 provides example answers to help you.

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1.The Level 1 Coaches Remit

The Level 1 qualification is suitable for these coaching roles:

running taster sessions
coaching introductory core skills
coaching paddlers in a variety of craft
coaching in sheltered and very sheltered water conditions

Supervision

When you finish your Level 1 qualification and start coaching you should have direct help and support from someone more qualified. As you progress and gain more experience it may be suitable for you to start working without direct supervision. This often happens when Level 1 coaches are working within the management structure of a provider, club or centre.The person responsible for paddlesport should identify suitable venues, provide specific guidelines and make sure you have an induction to any site-specific procedures. This would often be considered suitable if you were running regular sessions of a similar nature. Depending on the risk management strategies you may need to have extra training or qualifications to ‘top-up’ your skills to suit the paddlesport delivery you will be doing. For example; first aid training, higher BCU personal performance awards, or extra safety and rescue training.

The BCU also acknowledge that you may have the skills to assist coaches in other situations. This will depend on your experience, skills, technical knowledge, the venue, the paddlers, and your personal interests. Your supervising coach remains responsible for the coaching session and for setting boundaries for your input. They must themselves be suitably qualified.

Participants

The Level 1 coach is trained to coach children and adults in their first year of paddlesport activity, including:

introducing and supporting paddlers in their first experiences of the sport
developing performance in the basic skills (see below)
coaching participants with individual technical, tactical, physical and psychological needs

Introductory Core Skills

Level 1 coaches are trained to coach skills normally used by beginners, for example:

fundamental Paddlesport Skills (Posture, Connectivity, Power Transfer, and Feel)

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lifting and carrying
launching and landing
forward paddling
reverse paddling
stopping (forward and backwards)
steering, turning and manoeuvring
moving sideways
preventing a capsize

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Craft

Level 1 coaches can coach participants in any flat-hulled or straight running, solo or crew canoes and kayaks. They would normally receive an induction to any unfamiliar craft before being expected to coach them without supervision. This induction would cover things like:

specific rescues or towing techniques relevant to the session or craft
how to set the boat up for participants
any specific techniques or skills needed

any safety issues

Examples of different paddlesport craft:

Straight running / Kayaks / Solo
Sea kayaks
Sit-on-tops
Sprint racing kayaks/canoes
Touring kayaks/canoes
Wild water racing kayaks/canoes / Freestyle kayaks
General purpose kayaks
Sea kayaks
Sit-on-tops
Slalom kayaks
Sprint racing kayaks (K1/K2/K4)
Surf kayaks
Touring kayaks
White water kayaks
Wild water racing kayaks / Freestyle kayaks/canoes
General purpose kayaks/canoes
Sea kayaks
Sit-on-tops
Sprint racing kayaks/canoes
Slalom kayaks/canoes
Stand-up-paddleboards
Surf kayaks
Touring kayaks/canoes
White water kayaks/canoes
Wild water racing kayaks/canoes
Flat-hulled / Canoes / Crew
Freestyle kayaks/canoes
General purpose kayaks/canoes
Sit-on-tops
Slalom kayaks/canoes
Stand-up-paddleboards
Surf kayaks
White water kayaks/canoes / Freestyle canoes
General purpose canoes
Slalom canoes (C1/C2)
Sprint racing canoes
Stand-up-paddleboards
Touring canoes
White water canoes
Wild water racing canoes / Sea kayaks
Sit-on-tops
Slalom canoes (C2)
Sprint racing kayaks/canoes (K2/K4/C2)
Touring kayaks/canoes
Wild water Racing kayaks/canoes
White water canoes

Environmental Definitions

The BCU recommend the Level 1 coach can work in the these environments:

Swimming pools - Public or private, indoor and outdoor swimming pools.

Very sheltered water - Quiet canals with easy bankside access and egress; small lakes, which are not large enough, and do not have difficult landing areas for problems to occur it there is a sudden change in conditions; specified sites on gentle, slow moving rivers. The definition implies weather conditions that are not in themselves likely to cause problems. Care must be exercised when water temperatures are low. At any point the paddler will not be more than 50 metres from the bank.

Sheltered inland water- Ungraded rivers, faster flowing, but not involving the shooting of, or playing on weirs or running rapids. Areas of open water (e.g. lakes and lochs) that are no more than 200m offshore and in wind strengths that do not exceed Beaufort force 3.

Sheltered tidal water - Small enclosed bays, enclosed harbours, where there is minimal possibility of being blown offshore; defined beaches (a short section of beach with easy landing throughout, no tide races or overfalls beyond the beach), in conditions in which swimmers and beach craft could be happily operating winds not above Beaufort force 3 (Beaufort force 2 if offshore when greatest of caution must be exercised); the upper reaches of some suitable, slow moving estuaries during neap tides. In all cases the wind and weather conditions must be favourable.

Beaufort wind force 2 = wind speed 4-6 knots, described as a light breeze, sea state described as smooth.

Beaufort wind force 3 = wind speed 7-10 knots, described as a gentle breeze, sea state described as slight.

(Definitions taken from BCU Terms of Reference V4-0)

1. Describe your potential coaching environment. Then discuss with someone if this falls within the Level 1 coaches remit. Identify any changeable factors that may have an impact:
Describe the coaching environment(e.g. venue, participants, craft):
Describe any challenges (e.g. weather):

Getting Help

As a Level 1 coach you should have support and guidance to make sure that your planned sessions set you up to deliver a safe and enjoyable session, within a positive learning environment. This support will make sure that your session plan is suitable for the group you are working with, the venue/s used, and your own abilities. Checks should be made to make sure the technical content of your session is correct and suitable for the group, and that you have covered all the aspects that you need to. Support will come in many forms, for example:

specific training
having support on the water
working with others
receiving feedback on your coaching
observing more experienced coaches
informal discussions with other coaches
access to up-to-date resources books, video etc.
opportunities to discuss plans with the person responsible for paddlesport safety

When you are working out in the field it is important to check the details of your session plans; as you become more familiar with the session you are running this support will often decrease. It is important to make sure that you are proactive in asking for support when planning a session that has elements that are new to you. For example, if you are going to a new site, are teaching a different age range to normal, or the session has a different focus to what you are used to e.g. an environmental journey, rather than a skills session.

2. When you finish this course and get out coaching, who will you be able to get support from?
3. If you were using unfamiliar equipment, why would it be important to check with someone more experienced that it was set up properly?

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2.Your Coaching Personality

During the Level 1 Course you will discuss issues such as treating people fairly and respecting individual needs, the importance of student-centred delivery and values/responsibilities relevant to the coach. As you start your coaching career you will also develop your own coaching personality – your own interpretation of how you take on these responsibilities.

4. Note down some words that you would like others to use to describe you as a coach:
Now chat these through with a peer, colleague, or manager and add anything you may wish to.
Do you think this describes a ‘paddler-centred’ coach?
Circle any of the words you feel you need to work on, and chat about how you may achieve your aims.

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3.Paddlesport Activities

5. Name these paddlesport activities:
/ Using kayaks (solo or tandem) to journey on gentle flowing rivers, lochs and lakes, estuaries and the sea. Boats are designed to run straight, but maintain width for stability. They also generally have large or open cockpits, so they are easy to get in and out of. Some boats used will look a bit like sea kayaks, and others like slow flat-water racing boats.
/ This involves the descent of rapids in a kayak. The experience in essence is straightforward; you arrive at the start of your chosen run and head down the river.
/ This is a generic term for boats that are designed to be paddled with a single blade, and have an open top. They can be paddled, poled, lined, tracked and sailed. Often used for journeying on rivers or lakes/lochs, and can be loaded for extended camping trips.
/ Paddlers explore the coastline and go for journeys, anything from an hour or so to multiday expeditions. Kayaks are designed to be sea worthy with a covered deck, and the ability to have a spraydeck. They are generally designed with a good cruising speed, are easy to paddle in a straight line, and have space to carry equipment for camping etc.
/ This discipline uses kayaks to play on ocean waves, the specialist boats are designed with flat hulls and hard rails to maximise speed, control and manoeuvrability on a wave. But paddlers also use white water kayaks and sit-on-tops to play around on the waves.
/ These kayaks are open top, and normally used for general leisure. They are usually stable and easy to get on and off, there are a range of designs available some stable and manoeuvrable for messing around on the water, maybe in the sea or surf; others longer and designed for going on journeys.

Choose from:Kayak Touring, Open Canoeing, Sea Kayaking, Sit-on-top, Surf Kayaking,White Water Kayaking,

/ A combination of paddling and ball handling skills within an exciting contact team game. Two teams, each with five paddlers on the pitch at any one time, compete to score goals in their opponent’s net suspended at each end of the pitch above the water.
/ A test of skill, speed and precision is crucial as the object of the sport is to negotiate a series of pre-defined gates; the winner of the event will have negotiated the course in the fastest time, with the fewest penalties. There are penalties for hitting and missing gates. Paddlers race in single kayaks, and both single and double canoes.
/ This Olympic discipline, involves head-to-head racing on flat-water over distances of 200, 500, and 1000 metres on a straight course, of up to nine boats, each in a separate lane. Races are in singles, doubles and fours, for both canoes and kayaks.
/ This endurance racing discipline has A to B races on lakes, canals, rivers and estuaries. Most races are between 5 and 20 miles long, although ultra-long races do exist, with the Devizes to Westminster race at 125miles being one of the longest. The top paddlers use fast racing boats, but the less experienced can enter in any boat designed for speed. Races are in singles, doubles and fours, for both canoes and kayaks.
/ This is an exciting, dynamic and unique sport, a bit like gymnastics in a boat! Paddlers use tiny specialist boats and search out features on fast flowing rivers; big standing waves or stoppers are used to do acrobatic tricks. Many paddlers just play the rivers for fun, but there are also competitions to enter.
/ Flat out racing on stretches of white water rivers, the paddlesport equivalent to downhill ski racing. Classic races are normally 10 – 25 minutes, and sprint races much shorter at around 2-minutes. Paddlers race in single kayaks, and both single and double canoes.

Choose from:Freestyle, Marathon Racing, Polo, Slalom, Sprint Racing, Wild Water Racing

The experiences a newcomer has in the sport, really do shape their future. It is important for coaches to recognise their own limitations, and to seek guidance from more qualified coaches to make sure they are giving their paddlers the best chance within the sport. It is also important that coaches are aware of local paddlesport opportunities available to a paddler, so they can guideparticipants in the right direction. What paddlesport disciplines have you taken part in, and how did they help your development?

Paddlesport Experience:
Have you ever had a go at this? / How did this help you develop?
Freestyle
Kayak touring
Marathon racing
Open canoeing
Paddling a crew boat
Polo
Sea kayaking
Slalom
Sprint racing
Surf kayaking
White water kayaking
Wild water racing

4.Long Term Paddler Development (LTPD)

The British Canoe Union has developed a pathway that identifies the important areas for paddlers at different stages of development within our sport to focus on. The basic principle of the pathway is to provide guidance so all paddlers are given the right opportunities based on their personal needs and aspirations. The pathway supports paddlers from the first day they get into a boat over a span of many years, providing a logical progression of programme planning and skill development from the young paddler to the experienced performer. It seeks to make sure that individuals who come into the sport, stay in the sport and achieve performances that reflect potential and aspirations. As coaches we should be applying the principles of LTPD into all our delivery.

There are three key PHASES within the LTPD pathway:

The Foundation Paddlesport Phase sets out guidance for anyone starting out in paddlesport. The focus is on developing a strong core of skills through enjoyable and suitable activities, aiming to give paddlers a base to progress either into recreational or performance paddlesport or into other sports depending on their aspirations. This stage is based on having fun and developing quality movement skills, whilst learning to move, learning to play sport, and learning to paddle. As a paddler develops beyond this phase they would move into the Recreational or Performance Paddlesport Phases, depending on their aspirations.

The Recreational Paddlesport Phase aims to give paddlers opportunities and skills to maximise their enjoyment and satisfaction from the sport to whatever level they desire. The Long-Term Paddler Development model can be used as a goal setting evaluation tool, helping individuals and coaches to identify specific areas that need development in order to reach their personal goals.